


The mechanics of matching

by cattyv



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Getting Together, M/M, Post-Season/Series 02 AU, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-28
Updated: 2019-04-15
Packaged: 2019-12-25 19:53:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 14,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18268262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cattyv/pseuds/cattyv
Summary: AU Mack runs a garage he rents from his old friend Bobbi. Fitz and Jemma left S.H.I.E.L.D after the events of the season one finale. Fitz is now recovered enough to work in the private sector. What will happen when Mack finds out half of the garage is being rented to a small Scottish engineer?





	1. Chapter one

Mack liked his life. It was simple. He rented one half of a huge garage on the outskirts of town from his best friend Bobbi with a plain but practical studio apartment above it. She was never there really, stopping by occasionally more to say hello than to worry about collecting the rent. He finally had his own place, his own business. He’d always been a mechanic but having opened Mack’s six months ago, he was enjoying being his own boss. Business was steady and he was starting to build a reputation and see some repeat business. Essentially, everything was going to plan. Or it had been until Hunter stopped by the garage with some news.

Hunter was Bobbi’s ex-husband, although as Mack knew to his cost, they couldn’t be together but they sure as hell couldn’t stay apart. Hunter was a British mercenary with a mouth that didn’t stop. He was also Mack’s second-best mate, Bobbi taking the top spot as the more sensible one of the two, and the one he met first.

‘Mack, me old mate!’ Hunter shouted out in greeting. ‘Is it ever good to see you. You look even bigger than the last time I saw you, are you bench pressing the cars now?’

Mack sighed, typical Hunter, try to get on his good side, which meant bad news was coming. Mack’s six-foot seven frame meant he had always stood out. He worked with his hands, was on his feet all day shifting heavy parts around, with that and the occasional gym session he was a big man. ‘Hunter. Cut the crap, what’s up?’ Mack said, stopping to wipe his hands on an oily cloth. He went over to the small fridge and pulled out two bottles of beer, tossing one to Hunter.

‘Good news actually Mack. Bobbi sent me. She’s out of the country right now.’ Bobbi was always out of the country. Mack knew her work was top secret and tried not to ask or assume, but sometimes he did wonder what she actually did on these missions of hers. ‘She wanted me to let you know you are going to have a roommate. Well, a garage-mate I guess.’ What Hunter was saying didn’t make any sense.

‘What are you on about Hunter?’ Mack replied, ‘the garage is mine.’

‘Yes, technically you do rent the garage, but Bobbi has rented out the spare half,’ he gestured to the back where there was mainly empty space and a small unused office. It was true, Mack didn’t need all of it. The place was virtually the size of a hangar, but he didn’t know how he felt about sharing his space.

Hunter downed his beer and continued with his message, ‘Bobbi says you will like him. A lot actually, she said he’s just your type.’

Mack raised his eyebrows at that, he did not need anyone trying to fix him up, especially with someone he was going to be forced to work alongside every day.

‘You have been single forever. He’s an engineer, you probably have a lot in common. She said something happened a few months ago when he worked for-, when he worked elsewhere. There was an accident. After that he decided to try working for himself, consulting. She said he struggles sometimes with his words and his hands occasionally shake, but he still has it all up there,' Hunter tapped his head, 'he just can’t transfer it out.’

Great, thought Mack. He was being set up, but not romantically, Bobbi probably expected him to take his guy under his wing. She did have a habit of picking up strays and depositing them at his door. Mack huffed. ‘Fine. He can come but he has to keep to his side of the garage, I will keep to mine, then we’ll get along just fine. By the way, what’s his name?’

‘Fitz. Bobbi is usually a great judge of character, I mean she married me, right? So just promise me you’ll give him the benefit of the doubt.’

Mack nodded. ‘When’s he coming?’

‘In about half an hour.’

Mack spluttered on his beer. Typical Hunter to deliver the message at the last moment giving Mack no chance to back out. They shared another beer, Mack couldn’t see the point in working on anything now when he knew there was an interruption heading towards his lovely quiet work-space. A little while later they heard a knock and Hunter went to let the new tenant in.

He was shortish, slim, with dirty blonde curls and dazzling blue eyes. He moved nervously, tucking his fingers into the ends of the sleeve of his cardigan, before asking, ‘Hunter?’ Hunter nodded and pulled the man inside. Bobbi was right about one thing, he was definitely Mack’s type, if a little young. Mack was 42 and this kid looked to be in his 20s. Fitz was followed in by a pretty brunette with a large smile and wide keen eyes. Well that put an end to any romantic overtures, probably a good thing, best to keep things professional.

‘Oh Fitz, isn’t this marvellous?’ she said, turning towards the smaller man. ‘All this space! I bet you can’t wait to get started.’ She had a crisp British accent. Fitz didn’t look quite as keen as she did. He stood to survey the space, his eyes finally widening when they settled on Mack.

‘Hi,’ Mack said, trying to smile and make a good impression for Bobbi. The guy looked terrified, he didn’t want to spook him. He walked towards him and held out his hand. ‘I’m Al Mackenzie, but everyone calls me Mack.’

Fitz didn’t take his hand but nodded and said, ‘Fitz’.

Okay, so that was two words he’d heard him say. Mack thought there was the trace of an accent, but he couldn’t be sure. ‘So Fitz, what are you planning on doing with your half?’

Before he could answer the girl jumped in, ‘Fitz is an engineer, well a genius engineer really. He creates the most amazing-‘

Fitz interrupted her at this, ‘J-Jemma I can speak for myself. I’m consulting now, so I’ll make what they ask me to.’

There was definitely an accent, Scottish, and Mack couldn’t help but find it appealing. ‘I see, who do you consult for?’

‘Government, Stark, S.H.I.E.L.D., private contractors, whoever’s paying.’

This was spat out at such a rate, Mack almost missed what he said. That was an impressive list, this kid must be good. ‘Woah Turbo sounds like you’ll have plenty to keep you busy. Don’t worry, I’ll be over here with my regular boring cars keeping out of your way.’

Jemma stepped forward. ‘It is nice to meet you Mr Mackenzie and I’m sorry for the disruption. The thing is, they’re waiting to deliver Fitz’s things. Perhaps we could take you for a drink while they do? Get to know each other?’

Mack didn’t have much of a choice but suggested the small bar a few doors down would do. Mack, Hunter, Fitz and Jemma settled into a booth. Hunter went to grab a pitcher of beer and glasses, ‘beer alright with everyone?’ They all nodded, and he poured the drinks.

Mack tried to start the inevitable small talk. ‘So Fitz, Hunter didn’t say much. Where did you work before?’

Fitz took a big gulp of beer and said ‘umm. Signed a non-dis-disclosure so c-can’t say I’m afraid.’

Given how hard it was getting this many words out of him, Mack didn’t think he’d say much even if he could. He turned to Jemma who was the more social of the couple. ‘Will you be joining Fitz in the garage?’

She smiled, ‘oh no, we did work together actually, for years, but this is all mechanical and I’m biochemical. I’m actually going to South America in two weeks to do some work of my own. Venezuela has some fascinating flora and fauna.’

Fitz humphed. Mack deduced that Fitz wasn’t too happy that his girlfriend was leaving.

Hunter jumped in, ‘I had a wild weekend in Venezuela a few years ago. Lovely people. Friendly. Especially the women,’ and he waggled his eyebrows.

‘I’ll be far too busy working for any of that thank you,’ said Jemma.

Hunter looked nonplussed but waved over for another pitcher of beer, the first having gone quickly as they all sipped through the slightly awkward conversation. ‘Well it’s your loss. You sound like Mack here,’ Hunter said. ‘Always working, can barely get him to come for a beer these days, which is why we’re making the most of this opportunity. It’s official get to know you drinks after all.’

They started to relax a bit as the beer went down. Hunter told a few more stories, Jemma listed some of the things she was looking forward to seeing on her trip, even Fitz joined in a little to argue about football teams with Hunter.

Mack found himself the centre of attention. ‘So, once I’d saved enough, Bobbi leased me the garage and here I am. My own place. It was a little intimidating at first, but I really love working for myself.’ He caught Fitz smiling over at him as he spoke, the first smile he’d coaxed out of him. It felt nice and he knew he wanted to see more of that smile. He reminded himself that Fitz had a very female and very present girlfriend. Friendship was the goal, nothing else.


	2. Chapter two

The next day Mack was surprised to see Fitz there before him. The garage had been transformed. Fitz’s half now had workbenches, cabinets, some machinery he didn’t recognize. He had on a lab coat and some kind of magnifying mask as he peered at a small metal gadget, poking it with a tiny tool. He looked up as Mack entered and nodded hello.

‘Morning Fitz. You sure like to start early.’

‘I d-don’t really,’ and he waved his hand for a moment, ‘um, sleep, very well.’

Mack nodded his acknowledgement and went to start his day. He had a few small jobs to finish, nothing complex but they would take up the morning, and every small job meant money. He soon built up a sweat, stripping off his over-shirt to work in his tank top as he often did. He tightened the last gasket and stood to wipe his brow. He thought he caught a movement out of the corner of his eye but when he looked over Fitz was determinedly focused on his own work. It seemed like a good time to break. Mack walked over to Fitz, ‘I usually stop for a coffee around now.’

Fitz’s looked up, ‘right,’ he said.

‘If you want to join me?’ Mack said.

Fitz looked up again and seemed to regard Mack carefully. ‘Oh. Okay. T-tea though not, not the other one.’

‘Sure thing Turbo,’ said Mack.  
‘Why do you call me that?’ Fitz asked.

‘Well at first it was because you spoke so quickly, but now I’ve seen you work it fits even better. You have all this energy radiating off you all the time.’

‘Oh,’ said Fitz.

‘There’s a coffee shop over the road, I don’t have any tea here,’ Mack said and walked out, looking back to check Fitz was following behind. They sat together at a small table in the window.

‘So,’ said Mack, feeling aware he was always the one to start the conversation, ‘Jemma’s going abroad. I bet you’re going to miss her.’

Fitz nodded and for a moment Mack thought he was going to stay silent. ‘Yeah. Jemma’s great. The best really.’ He looked shyly up at Mack, ‘she’s my best friend.’

Best friend, interesting choice of words Mack thought. ‘You two been together long?’

‘Since we were sixteen.’

Wow. Mack hadn’t managed much longer than a year with his past relationships. ‘Well with all that history I’m sure you’ll be just fine. Long distance relationships work out all the time.’ Fitz was regarding him with an odd expression, but Mack carried on, ‘I’m sure she’ll miss you too.’

Fitz was doing that look again, his head slightly on its side, as if judging Mack. ‘Yes, I have no doubt we’ll be fine,’ Fitz said, and sounded like he meant it. Fitz took the initiative for the first time, ‘my friend has a van.’

‘Right. Well that’s great for him Turbo.’

Fitz looked at him, and Mack saw the moment he realized he’d left out a few important words.

‘S-she actually. It’s been having,’ and he waved his hand in the now almost familiar gesture, ‘trouble, can she bring it in?’

‘Sure Turbo, I’ll have a look. Tell her to bring it in any day after four.’

Fitz nodded.

They went back to their relative sides of the garage when they returned but Mack caught Fitz looking over once or twice. It would take some getting used to, but Mack hoped they would become friends. He wasn’t sure what it was, but the little engineer was growing on him.

The rest of the week carried on in much the same fashion. Sometimes they shared a break together or made each other tea or coffee. Fitz sometimes couldn’t find the word he wanted to say, waving his hand in frustration till he found it or choosing a similar enough word. 

Mack was working on changing a set of tyres when he heard a loud clatter from the other side of the garage and a spout of angry Scottish cursing. He dropped what he was doing and ran over. Fitz was clutching his hand and staring at a screwdriver he’d apparently thrown at the wall.

‘Hey Turbo, what happened?’

Fitz rubbed his bad hand and scowled at the offending tool. ‘I-I, m-m-m.’ He paused and took a breath, and started again, ‘My hand. Seized up. B-bloody stupid thing.’

Mack came closer, ‘Hey, don’t blame your hand. From what I see your hand has done some amazing work around here. The stuff you’re working on, I mean I don’t understand it all, but I see the scope of what you do. Give your hand a bit of a break.’

Fitz didn’t look convinced but was noticeably calmer. ‘You don’t understand Mack, before, before this,’ and he waved his hand towards his head to signify his injury, ‘I could have done it. I could have worked another four or five hours and my hands w-would have done w-what I asked them to.’

‘Fitz. I don’t know what you were like before the accident-‘

Fitz interrupted quietly, ‘It wasn’t an accident.’

Oh. Mack wasn’t sure if he was meant to ask but decided Fitz would tell him the story one day if he felt ready. ‘Okay, I don’t know the guy you were before, but the guy I met works hard, creates the most amazing machines I have ever seen, and is definitely too hard on himself.’

Fitz caught Mack’s eye and for a moment they shared a sincere look. Mack felt a rush of affection for Fitz. He really was hard on himself, he seemed to think he was somehow lesser instead of seeing how amazing he was, working through his brain injury, pushing himself. He could still do things most people could only dream of; the kid actually was a genius. Aware he had probably been staring into Fitz’s eyes for longer than was appropriate for a friend, Mack coughed and looked away.

‘Why don’t you finish up here for the day, I have an idea.’

Fitz nodded and started to pack away his work. ‘What’s your idea?’ Fitz asked as he finished up.

‘Xbox. No, listen, it will be good for your hand coordination, plus it’s just fun to shoot zombies,’ and Mack smiled. He got a matching smile from Fitz which made the gamble worthwhile.

There was an old couch near the beer fridge, and a TV and Xbox set up for those nights when Hunter came over. The game seemed to relax Fitz, he had a few struggles with his hand, but it didn’t really matter. Mack was pleased he had managed to find something that helped. 

‘You know, this is practically physical therapy, we should do this more often,’ said Mack.

Fitz nodded his agreement. They were close on the sofa, knees touching, and Mack tried to block out how nice the warmth felt. They were just friends. 

Over the next week they had several more Xbox nights, Hunter sometimes joining them, even Jemma came once or twice. She didn’t watch but gave tactical advice and brought defiantly healthy snacks. It was starting to become a regular way of finishing their working day.


	3. Chapter 3

Mack was really enjoying having Fitz around. They both focused on their own work, but it was nice to have someone drag him away for a break or that he could complain to about Hunter and Bobbi’s latest fight and how Mack seemed to be their agony uncle of choice. Time spent with Fitz just felt so natural and easy. 

The date of Jemma’s departure for her research trip to Venezuela had come around and they were having a farewell meal for her. Bobbi was back but she was currently not getting on with Hunter, so they sat at opposite ends of the table. Mack, Fitz, Jemma and their friend Skye took up the rest of the table. Skye was bubbly and talked a lot, especially after two glasses of red wine, and had turned out to be Fitz’s friend with the van.

‘So, what you have to understand Mack,’ Skye said, ‘is that this van, she is not just a van. She was my home, we have history. I am going to need you to take real good care of her.’

Mack was nodding along, Fitz and Jemma seemed to find it hilarious. 

‘Now, you seem like a nice man. A large man. I feel I can trust you with her. If Fitz trusts you, I trust you,’ and Skye turned to peck Fitz on the cheek. He flushed and pushed her away. ‘And Fitz here, he has said some very nice things about you-‘, Fitz punched Skye on the arm to stop her talking, clearly embarrassed. 

Mack tried not to notice how cute Fitz looked with his pink cheeks. Hmm, probably best not to have anymore wine if he was thinking that way, he didn’t want to get caught staring.

Skye gave Fitz a ‘look’, and carried on, ‘So, I will bring her round in the next week or so. I just want you to understand how special she is, so that you look after her the way she deserves. Sure, she might have gone through some crap, but she is still here, and she is still amazing.’

Mack felt she was talking about more than the van but pretended not to pick up on it and turned to Bobbi to change the subject. ‘So, Bobbi, where were you this time?’

She smiled, ‘Mack you know the drill. I can't talk about my work. All I can tell you is that it is damn good to be back. Well it would be if I hadn’t found someone,’ she looked over at Hunter, ‘camping out in my apartment.’

‘Our apartment,’ Hunter shouted from the other end of the table.

‘Not since the divorce Lance,’ Bobbi replied. Hunter was muttering to himself but stopped himself from responding directly.

Skye picked up her glass and pinged it with her fork to get everyone’s attention. ‘Children! Let’s not forget why we are here. Doctor Doctor Jemma Simmons, the cleverest person I know, well, apart from Fitz, is leaving us.’ The table made booing sounds and Jemma smiled.

‘The last year has been hard.’ At this Jemma and Fitz exchanged a glance and Mack saw them take each other’s hands under the table. ‘But we have come out the other side strong and ready to kick ass, and I have no doubt Jemma will kick the ass of many Venezuelans.’

Everyone laughed at this as Jemma jumped in to correct her that that was really not the point of her trip. ‘Okay,’ Skye amended, ‘She will kick the ass of Venezuelan science! Speech! Speech!’.

Jemma cleared her throat a little nervously and began, ‘Thank you for your kind words Skye. We have been through a lot together, and you are like my family. I will miss you all so much.’ She looked a little tearful but continued to smile. She raised a glass, ‘To kicking the arse of Venezuelan science!’ and everyone joined in the toast.

There was plenty of laughter and by the end of the night there were also some tears. Mack noticed that Fitz and Jemma were nearly always touching one another, even when they were having separate conversations. There was a hand on a shoulder, or on a knee, as if they couldn't bear to be totally apart. Jemma's trip was bound to hit them both hard.


	4. Chapter 4

The next day Mack had a bit of a sore head as he worked. Fitz seemed lost in thought, he hadn’t said much during the day, probably missing his girlfriend. Hunter walked in singing to himself, clearly in a much better mood.

‘Chaps! How are we today?’ Hunter said, clearly picking up on the subdued mood and dialling up his cheerfulness.

Mack groaned and Fitz just scowled. 

‘I have just the thing to perk you up. Tomorrow night, games night, but this time at my apartment.’

‘Hunter,’ said Mack, ‘is this just an excuse to annoy your ex-wife?’

‘Mack!’ Hunter threw his hands up in mock horror, ‘I am wounded. Actually, Bobbi had the idea. Beer, snacks, a proper couch that doesn’t smell like engine grease. I will see you there,’ and he left before they could agree or disagree.

Fitz walked over to Mack, he looked a bit nervous. ‘Are you going to go? To the games night I mean?’

‘Yeah, I guess so. Trust me, it’s easier to give in now than have him going on about it for the next five years.’

Fitz put a hand on Mack’s arm, only for a second before he seemed to realise what he’d done and took it away and blushed. ‘Oh, me too. I mean, I’ll go too then.’

Mack felt glad that his presence reassured Fitz enough that he would join the night at Hunter’s, it left a warmth in his chest and he smiled inadvertently. They went back to work, and Mack tried not to think about the brief touch on his arm. Maybe Fitz was a tactile person once he got to know you. 

The following day as they finished up Mack said ‘Hey Turbo, do you want to share a ride to Hunter’s? I can pick you up?’

‘Sure, thanks Mack. I actually live about five minutes away, so I can just meet you back here?’

That arranged, Mack went to shower, change, and tidy himself up. His head freshly shaved he put on dark blue jeans, a tight white t-shirt and his black leather jacket. He hadn’t really spent time with Fitz outside of work and felt a bit self-conscious as he dressed. He grabbed a bottle of wine and a pack of beer, so all options were covered and sat on the couch in the garage to wait for Fitz.

Fitz arrived on time but a little flustered and holding a carrier bag. He wore tight blue jeans and a plaid shirt over a black band t-shirt, converse on his feet. He was much less formal than usual, and it suited him. It really suited him, Mack thought. 

They shared the backseat of the car on the way to Hunters. It was a small car and Mack was a large man, so their legs and bodies touched every time they went around a corner. Mack looked over at Fitz, but he didn’t seem to mind. 

When they arrived, Hunter was there to greet them acting as the perfect host. He took the drinks from them and gestured them inside. Bobbi was in a black dress at the back of a large sitting room putting the finishing touches to a nicely laid dining table, and there was a heavenly smell of food. 

‘Bobbi?’, Mack said, ‘Hunter said Xbox night, I didn’t release we were having dinner.’ Fitz looked down as his clothes, they both felt underdressed.

‘Hunter!’, Bobbi yelled, ‘did you tell Mack and Fitz they were coming over to play videogames?’

He called back from the kitchen, ‘well, I thought maybe after dinner…’

Bobbi frowned then turned back to face her guests and smiled. ‘ I apologise for my idiot of an ex-husband. Can I get you a drink? I have some wine open, or some beer?’

They both took a beer and sat together on the sofa. Bobbi and Hunter sat on a sofa opposite, grinning at them. Bobbi was giving them a calculating look.‘So Fitz, it seems you are Mack are getting on well together.’

Fitz looked up as if he was under interrogation, ‘Y-yes we do. Mack’s great,’ and he smiled at Mack and made his heart flutter in his chest. Mack automatically smiled back, a great big goofy grin, before he remembered himself and toned it down a little.

Bobbi’s smile widened. ‘I knew the two of you would hit it off. I am always right about these things.’

‘Yeah, I guess we work well together,’ admitted Mack. 

The meal was lovely, Bobbi and Hunter were as happy and together as Mack had seen them in years. The talk seemed to fall a lot on relationships, falling in love, finding that special person. It had taken Mack half the night to realise that Bobbi was hinting at romance between Mack and Fitz. The realisation hit him, Bobbi thought this was a double date. Bobbi clearly didn’t know that Fitz was with Jemma, maybe Fitz hadn’t told Bobbi. Jemma said they used to work together, that was probably it, they probably had to keep their relationship a secret. Quite why they hadn’t said anything since, Mack wasn’t sure, and Hunter had seen Jemma with Fitz. 

It was confusing. It was also torture. He was on a date with the guy he had a teenage sized crush on, only it wasn’t really a date. He went back to drinking his wine, maybe things would feel clearer after another glass.

Dinner finished, they went back to the sofas to relax with the rest of the wine. Everyone was merry and in good spirits. Fitz got more talkative after drinking and was currently explaining to Bobbi and Hunter how the latest version of his pocket-sized device to cut through steel, which he called the Limited Intensity Light Laser, or Lil’ Laser, was getting on. Fitz was a genius, but he had terrible taste when naming his inventions. As Fitz spoke, his face lit up, he was so enthusiastic about his work. Bobbi and Hunter were fascinated too, no doubt thinking of how to use it in the field, but all Mack could focus on was the small hand that Fitz had unthinkingly just laid on Mack’s thigh. From the quick glance Bobbi shot him, she had noticed too.

Wine finished, they called a cab and Fitz and Mack sat in comfortable silence. As they approached the garage, Mack asked, ‘where shall I drop you Fitz?’

‘Oh, just drop me at the garage and I can walk back.’

They got out and fought over who would pay the cab, Mack being a little faster with his wallet and winning the battle. ‘Thanks Mack,’ Fitz said, ‘it’s been a really good night.’

He was looking into Mack’s eyes with his shining blue ones. It felt like a date again even though Mack knew that it wasn’t. If it had been a date, Mack would have been leaning in for a goodnight kiss. As it was, he settled with answering, ‘yeah, it was. Who’d have thought Bobbi and Hunter could put on a domesticated front like that? I haven’t seen them like that since they were married.’

‘Well, um, I’ll be off,’ said Fitz, but didn’t actually move. There was a moment of silence and then Fitz turned to leave. 

Mack thought for a moment then followed him, ‘I’ll walk you back. It’s not the best neighbourhood, I’ll feel better if I do.’

Fitz nodded and they walked out of the garage close together. Mack didn’t know why his heart was beating this hard, surely Fitz would be able to hear it. They walked half a block and down a small side street before Fitz stopped in front of an apartment block.

‘Well, this is me. Um, do you want to come in for a c-coffee?’ Fitz looked up at him with wide serious eyes.

No, thought Mack, best not. ‘Yeah sure,’ he heard himself answering. They took the stairs up to the second floor, Fitz apologising for the lift being out of order. The flat was small, it was tidy apart from the table at the back of the living room which was covered with blueprints, papers and various bits of oddly shaped metal. It seemed even at home Fitz couldn’t stop working. Fitz motioned to Mack to take a seat on the soft grey sofa, he kept fidgeting with his hands and looked nervous.

‘Um, beer? Or coffee?’ Fitz asked. 

‘Beer’, said Mack, and Fitz brought two bottles over and sat close to Mack on the sofa. They both drank and there was silence. Mack wasn’t sure why, but it felt awkward, as if there was tension between them. Fitz was close enough that their sides were pressed together, and the heat was comforting. Fitz downed his beer and looked at Mack with a determined look in his eyes. He raised a hand to Mack’s shoulder and pushed him so that they were turned to face each other. 

Mack put his beer down and couldn’t stop himself gazing into those blue eyes. They stayed like that for a second, then Fitz leaned slightly forward. He used pressure on Mack’s shoulder to encourage him to lean in, and then Fitz’s lips met Mack’s. His lips felt soft and he liked the fuzz of Fitz’s stubble on his face. Mack placed a hand behind Fitz’s head to pull them more firmly together. As their lips moved together Mack felt Fitz’s tongue lick at his mouth and he opened his lips so their tongues could meet. The kiss deepened and he moved his hands to so one was on Fitz’s back and the other was stroking down his side. Mack felt Fitz grab his t-shirt and start to pull it up without breaking the kiss. 

God this felt good thought Mack. Why hadn’t they always been doing this? Well, he thought Fitz was straight, but that theory was well and truly blown. The way Fitz was kissing him was definitely not the way a straight man would. He pulled Fitz towards him, so he was almost in his lap, yes, that bulge in Fitz’s jeans definitely showed a mutual interest. Why would he have assumed Fitz was straight? Oh. Oh, Jemma. Mack pulled back and froze. Shit. How had he forgotten that Fitz had a girlfriend? 

‘Fitz, we can’t,’ said Mack. It was hard to stop, it felt so good, but they were drunk, and it was a terrible idea. Fitz was probably missing his girlfriend and feeling confused. 

Fitz looked so disappointed, almost tearful, but climbed off Mack and sank back into the sofa. He closed his eyes and sighed.

‘I’m sorry Fitz, I just can’t,’ and before he could change his mind, Mack turned and left. His head was all over the place and he only realised he’d used the broken lift once he was inside, but to his relief it worked fine.


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning Mack was glad it was Sunday and he wouldn’t have to immediately face Fitz in the garage. He still pottered around, working on a few cars, but allowed himself a much easier schedule. He’d had a few messages from Bobbi trying to find out how things had gone with Fitz, she meant well but after last night they just made him feel nauseous. 

He needed to stop thinking about how right Fitz felt in his arms and work out how to play things on Monday. They were probably too old to pretend it didn’t happen, he would just apologise and let Fitz know it couldn’t happen again, it wasn’t fair on Jemma. He pictured her smiling face and the way she had tears in her eyes when she hugged Fitz goodbye and felt awful. He was a terrible person.

Monday came around all too quickly. Mack was early but Fitz was in even earlier. He was almost fully inside the large machine he was working on, just his legs sticking out. Best to get this over and done with Mack thought. He walked over to Fitz and coughed to get his attention. 

Fitz pulled his head out and turned to face Mack. He looked scared almost, he must be regretting everything. Maybe he was afraid Mack would tell Jemma.

‘Hey Turbo,’ said Mack, ‘I just wanted to clear the air, after-after the other night.’

Fitz nodded so Mack carried on.

‘I mean, you’re great and all but it just can’t happen. You know, if things were different with you, then maybe, but as it is…’

Fitz nodded again and looked down at his feet. ‘Y-yes, I understand.’ He looked like he was going to cry so Mack backed off to give him some space. 

‘Friends?’ he said. 

‘Sure Mack,’ said Fitz, ‘always.’

Mack was glad that conversation was over. He wished he hadn’t got a taste of what he couldn’t have, but at least he was out of the picture and Fitz could keep his mind on Jemma.

It took a few days for things to start to really return to normal, but they’d always got on well and it just sort of clicked back into place. Maybe they were a little more careful about being in each other’s personal space but other than that, they were friends again.

They were playing Xbox after work a week or two later, they sat close but these days their knees didn’t touch, when Hunter came in. ‘Mind if I join you? Or am I interrupting something?’ and Hunter gave a theatrical wink. Fitz blushed and Mack frowned at Hunter.

‘Don’t worry Mack, I won’t stay and play third wheel for long. I just came to see what time Jemma’s flight lands tomorrow.’  
Mack felt awkward hearing her name, but Fitz didn’t seem bothered at all. ‘She lands at ten, so if you drop her off here, I can walk her over to my place.’

Hunter nodded, ‘bet you can’t wait to see her.’

Fitz nodded, ‘yeah, it’s the longest we’ve ever been apart, just a few days to catch up before she goes again but it will be worth it.’

Mack pushed back the guilty feelings he had and focused on being happy for Fitz. Ten years was a long time, they had practically grown up together. What Fitz and Jemma had was special.

Mack was on edge the next day, he knew it was stupid, but he felt like Jemma would look at him and just know everything. That they kissed, but also that Mack still had strong feelings for Fitz. When he heard the car pull up, he didn’t look up from the truck he was working on. 

Jemma came running in and pulled Fitz into a big hug. ‘Oh my god Fitz, I missed you!’ and she held his face with both hands and kissed him hard on the cheek. Fitz let himself be crushed by the hug and kiss and gave her a grin. ‘Hunter has just dropped my bag at yours.’

Mack gave them a few moments to catch up then thought it would be rude not to say hello for any longer. Nervously walking across the garage Jemma turned before he reached them and gave him a cold look.

‘Mr Mackenzie.’

‘Er, hi Jemma,’ Mack replied, ‘how is your trip going?’

‘Fine thank you for asking.’ She was being cool and formal, and Mack was taken by surprise.

‘You look good, getting a bit of a tan there,’ Mack smiled.

Jemma did not smile back.

‘Come on Fitz, let’s go to the flat and really catch up. Goodbye Mack,’ and she grabbed Fitz’s arm and almost dragged him away.

Hunter walked in and caught Mack’s bemused expression. Mack had not been expecting that at all. Sure, he had kissed her boyfriend and he understood that was crossing a line, but did this mean Fitz had told her about it? Maybe they were the kind of couple that told each other everything. Shit, no wonder she hated him. She clearly blamed Mack for taking advantage as she was not giving the cold shoulder to Fitz.

‘Penny for them,’ said Hunter. Mack shook his head.

‘Come on Mack, I know that look, you have something on your mind.’

Mack walked over to the sofa and sat holding his head in his hands. ‘I screwed up Hunter,’ he said. ‘I think I’ve ruined everything. Jemma hates me, I don’t even know what Fitz thinks about anything, and I’m here stuck in the middle feeling like crap.’

‘Wait, Jemma hates you?’ asked Hunter, ‘that woman doesn’t hate anybody.’ He thought for a moment, ‘okay well maybe one person, but you know, he did nearly kill them, so that’s understandable.’

Mack looked up confused. ‘Sorry,’ Hunter carried on, ‘what on earth could you have done to make her hate you?’

Mack took a deep breath, and then one another for luck. ‘I kissed Fitz.’

Whatever Mack was expecting, it wasn’t the almost girl-like shriek of excitement that came from Hunter.

‘Hunter, don’t you see? I’ve ruined everything.’

‘Aw mate no way, he’s so into you. Bobbi and I noticed it when you came round, he could barely take his eyes of you all night.’

‘But Jemma.’ What more was there to say thought Mack?

‘I must admit I’m surprised,’ said Hunter, ‘I thought she’d be happy for Fitz, he deserves something good in his life. Maybe she’s being the overprotective best friend?’

What? This didn’t make any sense now. ‘Why would she be happy? I mean, isn’t she-, aren’t they, you know, together?’

Hunter laughed. ‘Oh my god Mack! Please tell me you didn’t think that!’

Mack sat with his mouth hanging open, this was unbelievable. ‘So, Fitz and Jemma, they aren’t, you know, boyfriend and girlfriend? I just assumed...’

‘Mack, you sweet dirty minded man. Sometimes, a man and a woman can just be friends. Well, best friends in this case. Does anyone else find it weird when they say that?’

‘Shit.’ Mack had messed up royally. ‘I told him I couldn’t be with him.’

‘What exactly did you tell him?’ asked Hunter.

‘I said something like we couldn’t be together, and he knew why. Wait, what did he think I meant?’ 

‘Only one way to find out,’ said Hunter, ‘you’re going to have to ask him. On the bright side, at least you know little Fitzy was interested.’

Mack spent the rest of the day in a bit of a haze. He was happy that Fitz was single but mortified he’d got the wrong end of the stick so badly. He kept replaying the moments again and again. First, when he pushed Fitz away after their kiss, and the sad look on his face. Then he would remember telling Fitz they couldn’t be together, and Fitz’s face as it looked like he held back a tear.  
Fitz didn’t come back in that day, so Mack didn’t get his chance to bring it up directly, but Jemma did. 

She came back at the end of the day with Skye who was finally dropping off her precious van to be fixed. The two women were clearly very close, he’d seen that at Jemma’s leaving meal. Skye was her usual happy self, but Jemma was still holding back.

‘Here are the keys, please be good to her Mack,’ Skye said, tossing the keys to Mack. Jemma huffed at that and folded her arms. Skye looked confused.

‘What’s up Jemma, don’t you think she will be okay?’ she whispered but loud enough for Mack to easily hear, ‘isn’t Mack a good mechanic?’

‘He is,’ Jemma replied in her normal voice, ‘Mack is a great mechanic, although I think he prefers things that don’t have any history, things with no past issues.’

Mack and Skye both looked confused now, Mack was glad it wasn’t only him this time. ‘Jemma,’ Mack said, ‘I don’t know where this is coming from. Have I done something to upset you?’

‘Me?’ said Jemma, ‘I’m perfectly fine. I don’t lead people on and, I don’t kiss people and then tell them they’re too, too d-different,’ and she broke out into tears.

Skye ran to her side and hugged her. ‘Jemma what’s wrong? What do you mean?’

Jemma looked up, her eyes red and black make up smudged underneath them. ‘Mack. He told Fitz he couldn’t be with him because he was too different.’

Skye turned to look at Mark with a dark look on her face. ‘Hey buddy, I will have you know that Leopold James Fitz is worth a hundred of anybody.’

Mack stood still with his mouth shaping an o, feeling minutes behind everyone else. His mouth finally caught up with his brain, ‘No, I never said that. I like Fitz. Is that what he thinks? 'Wait, his name isn't Fitz?'

‘He thinks you think he is too different Mack, because it is what you told him,’ said Jemma.

‘No, you’ve got it wrong. It was a misunderstanding. I do like Fitz, in fact I want to be with Fitz. I just thought, I thought you were his girlfriend.’

This stopped both angry women for a moment before Jemma gave a sniffled giggle, then Skye joined in and they were both laughing.

‘Mack, I can assure you I am really not Fitz’s type. Oh, poor Fitz, he’s been so upset about this. He thinks you rejected him because of his injury.’

Mack felt terrible, Fitz been going around thinking that he wasn’t good enough. Fitz was always so hard on himself. Mack needed to fix this. ‘Jemma, where is Fitz now? I have to see him.’

‘He’s at his place. Look, please be careful with him Mack. He’s gone through so much. Please don’t hurt him.’

‘I couldn’t,’ said Mack, and he was out of the door and running down the street before he knew it. The door to Fitz’s building was open and he bounded up the steps until he reached his door. He knocked before he gave himself a chance to over think things. After a moment the door opened. Fitz stood there, clearly not expecting an out of breath Mack to turn up on his doorstep. 

Mack meant to be romantic, to make a pretty speech, but all he was capable of was pulling Fitz into his arms and kissing him. After a moment Fitz kissed him back and Mack tightened his embrace. When they finally pulled apart both panting, Fitz pushed Mack away and said, ‘not that that wasn’t nice Mack, but what the hell is going on?’

Mack took Fitz’s hand in his and looked him straight in the eye. ‘I am so sorry Turbo, I messed up. I don’t think you are different or damaged or whatever you thought I meant. You are just right to me. I only held back because I thought you were with Jemma.’

Fitz’s eyes widened, he frowned and then he laughed. ‘Mack, why would I have kissed you?’

Mack kissed Fitz’s hand, ‘I know, I know, I am a fool. Please let me make it up to you?’

Fitz smiled, ‘okay.’

Mack felt relief wash through his body. He could fix this, it was going to be alright. ‘How about dinner? Saturday night?’  
Fitz nodded.

Feeling ridiculously happy Mack leaned in for a soft kiss, ‘okay, it’s a date.’

Mack left feeling better than he had in a long time. Fitz liked him. He liked Fitz. Jemma didn’t hate him. Life really was good. He had a date to plan for.


	6. Chapter 6

News clearly travelled fast because Mack was suddenly getting unwanted advice from Hunter (wear tight jeans, offer to split the bill), and Bobbi (dress nicely, splash out on good wine), he even got an email from Jemma before she boarded her flight. She apologised for her coldness and expressed her delight that Mack was finally clearheaded enough to see what was right in front of his face.

Skye had stopped by, apparently to check on her van, and grilled him on when and where the date was taking place. It seemed everyone was annoyingly happy for them and wanted to be involved, and Mack was fed up of it.

‘Skye,’ Mack said, ‘I have taken guys out before you know, I am sure I can pull together a date.’

‘I am sure you are a real smooth operator,’ she said winking at him, ‘I bet you have some mooooves.’

The worst of this was that the object of his desire was just on the other side of the garage while this was going on. Lucky for Mack, when Fitz was working, he was in the zone and didn’t catch much of what went on around him, oblivious to the sudden attention. Mack was sure Fitz would work the whole day without a break if Mack or his own grumbling stomach didn’t interrupt occasionally.

Skye moved in a little closer. ‘I’m just excited for you guys, Fitz is a great guy and you seem like an honest good guy. We’re all rooting for you, that’s all.’

‘I appreciate that, but really, all this fuss is just making me nervous,’ Mack said.

‘With _those_ muscles? You’re a shoo in,’ Skye smiled, ‘plus, he’s crazy about you.’

Mack looked over and caught Fitz watching them out of the corner of his eye. The signs were good, and he hoped Skye was right. He was aware that Fitz brought out a protective instinct in everyone around him – Jemma, Skye, Hunter, Bobbi. Mack pitied the guy that didn’t treat Fitz right, they would have a lot of angry folk to deal with, several of which were weapons trained. Mack wasn’t worried, he had no intentions of ever hurting Fitz.

He settled on taking Fitz out for dinner at an Italian restaurant he knew, being a traditional kind of guy. He wanted somewhere they could talk and enjoy being together. The restaurant was fairly typical with low lighting, red and white tablecloths and well used candles on each table. A little cheesy maybe but definitely a good and romantic place to sit with someone you wanted to get to know better. It helped that they were already friends and they had chemistry between them, there wasn’t the awkwardness that seemed to go with a first date. In the cosy half-dark of the restaurant, Mack leaned over to take Fitz’s hand. ‘I’m really glad we’re doing this.’

‘Yeah, me too,’ said Fitz. ‘I should have pegged you for the romantic type,' he said gesturing round at their surroundings. 

Mack laughed, ‘you’re not?’

‘I don’t know,’ Fitz said, ‘I’ve never been with someone long enough to find out.’

Mack raised his eyebrows, ‘oh.’

‘I mean, I was studying, and I was younger than the other students, at the A-, at university. Jemma and I, w-we were the youngest there, we graduated early and I went straight into working in a lab, then I was, um, working remotely and t-travelling a lot.’

‘So,’ Mack said, ‘not many boyfriends?’

‘Um,’ said Fitz, ‘nothing that lasted. Work always came first. How about you? Tell me about your family, where you grew up.’

Mack was happy to tell him everything about himself. He liked talking about his parents, sadly no longer with him, the annoying little brother who drove him crazy, their shared love of motorbikes and cars. They chatted throughout dinner, the conversation was never stilted but Mack noticed Fitz rarely spoke about himself unless prompted.

‘I feel like I’ve been talking all night. What about you Turbo? Tell me about yourself.’

‘Not much to tell really,’ said Fitz.

‘I thought we could get to know each other, talk about something other than work or Xbox. Where are you from in Scotland?’

‘Glasgow.’

‘When did you leave Scotland?’ asked Mack.

‘I was a teenager. I came over to study and then stayed to work.’

‘What did you study?’ Mack said, feeling like a police officer conducting an interview.

‘Engineering, physics.’

‘Any family?’ Mack asked. ‘Just my Mum. It’s, it’s hard to get back, I haven’t seen her in a while,’ Fitz said, his fingers twirling the bottom of his wine glass. ‘Is it just your brother?’

‘Yeah, I guess we aren’t as close as we could be with the age gap but he’s a good kid.’

That was the full extent of personal information he’d gleaned, and there was no easy way to find out more without turning the date into a full-on interrogation. Fitz probably took time to open up he thought. Mack was the opposite, he’d always been an open book with his friends and partners. There was no rush, he hoped they would be seeing a lot of each other.

Mack insisted on paying the bill, telling Fitz they could argue about it next time they went out and ignoring the blinking light of his phone. A message from Bobbi starting, ‘How is it? Don’t let him pay…’ was showing on the screen. Anyone wanting gossip and updates on the date would have to wait.

Mack walked Fitz home like a gentleman, taking his hand for the last block, Fitz occasionally leaning in and resting his head against his shoulder. It was a nice feeling. They stopped in the glow of the streetlights outside Fitz’s apartment building and faced each other. Mack leaned in, his went arms around Fitz’s waist and he pulled him into a gentle kiss. He would have been happy to leave things there, it had been a wonderful night, but when Fitz firmly kissed him back and tugged his arm to pull him into the building he didn’t complain. They made out on his couch like teenagers, it was hot and Mack was almost overwhelmed by how badly he wanted this. They fit together so well, the way they kissed just easy and natural and in perfect sync. Fitz stood up and led Mack to the bedroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will be smut you can skip if you would rather not read...


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just the smutty part... you can skip it if you prefer

Fitz led Mack into the small bedroom by the hand, they stood and smiled at each other before Fitz toed his shoes and socks off and Mack followed suit. Fitz kissed Mack again and they let themselves fall back onto the bed, Fitz landing half on top of Mack. It was not a bad position to be in, Mack thought as he pulled him across, so Fitz was now squarely on top of him and their crotches met.

Fitz kissed him hard and his hands went down Mack's sides, Mack was cradling Fitz's head with one hand, the other on his ass. He could feel the hardness in Fitz's jeans which matched his own, and the wonderful friction where they rubbed together. Fitz pushed a hand up inside Mack's t-shirt, feeling the skin of his chest and stopping to rub his nipple. Mack pulled Fitz in even closer so their erections ground against each other and they both moaned into the kiss. Their kiss was desperate and hard, their tongues dancing against each other as their hands continued to roam. He felt Fitz pushing his t-shirt up and Mack pulled himself up off the bed slightly to help. He began undoing Fitz’s shirt buttons, Fitz helping him as if he couldn’t stand to wait. In no time the shirt was flung away, and they had skin pressed against skin, it felt so good with no barriers between them. Fitz had beautiful skin and Mack liked how it looked against his own, it was warm and smooth and pale. Fitz blushed as Mack ran his hands over every inch before using his strength to move them both, so they were on their sides facing each other. 

Mack rubbed his hand against the bulge in Fitz’s jeans and broke the kiss to check Fitz was okay as he started to undo his buttons. Fitz smiled in return and began to do the same to Mack, his nimble fingers getting the fly open before Mack had time to do the same. Mack stuttered with his movements as he felt the smaller hands pulling his jeans down enough that they could rub against the fabric of his boxers. He moaned and tried to carry on undoing Fitz’s jeans, but it was hard to concentrate on anything as he felt fingers firmly gripping his cock through the material. Fitz began to suck and nibble on Mack’s neck, stopping and returning to the spot that made Mack groan, whilst his hands pushed down his boxers. Mack felt himself spring free from the constraining fabric and Fitz made an appreciative noise.   
‘No fair,’ said Mack, still trying to undo Fitz’s trousers. Fitz had a gleam in his eye and didn’t let up. He met Mack’s gaze as he gently rubbed his thumb over the tip of his cock and then down the side and back up. He gripped it and started to move his hand firmly but painfully slowly up and down. Mack leaned across to catch Fitz in a messy kiss, gently biting his lip. Mack finally got Fitz’s trousers open, feeling so turned on and not able to wait, he shoved his hand straight inside his underwear, going straight for his hard cock. Fitz groaned at the contact. 

Mack pushed Fitz’s trousers and underwear down, Fitz using his legs to kick them off until he was lying there naked. God he was beautiful, Mack thought. Mack went to push his own trousers fully off, but Fitz stopped him and pushed him onto his back on the bed. Fitz straddled Mack, dragging the trousers and underwear down together, his head only inches from Mack’s throbbing cock. Looking up at him through his eyelashes Fitz pressed a chaste kiss to the end of Mack’s cock. Mack could feel his warm breath on him and gasped as Fitz leant down to suck the head of his cock into his mouth. It was warm, wet and he could feel Fitz’s tongue swirling across the end. Fitz started to work more of Mack’s cock into his mouth, always keeping it wet and with a firm pressure. Mack threw his head back and tried not to get overexcited, it felt incredible. He looked back down at Fitz and groaned, it was the hottest sight, Fitz starting to move up and down on his cock, cheeks hollowed. 

‘Shit, you’d better stop Turbo,’ Mack said, ‘that’s too good’. He didn’t want to stop but he knew he was getting close and he wanted this to last, he wanted it to be good for both of them. Fitz reluctantly let his cock fall from his mouth, kissing up Mack’s body then kissing Mack on the mouth long and hard. Fitz stopped to lean across to his bedside table, grabbing a tube of lube from the drawer and handing it to Mack. Mack slicked some on his fingers and some on his hand. He flipped them so now Fitz lay on his back and started to move his lubed hand up and down Fitz’s cock, grasping it firmly and starting a steady rhythm, the fingers of his other hand gently playing with Fitz’s balls, listening to how he moaned to work out what pressure and actions worked best. He moved a finger lower and gently pressed against Fitz’s hole, feeling the muscle contract at the touch and Fitz groaned. 

‘Okay?’ Mack asked, and Fitz nodded and replied, ‘more than okay.’

Mack gently inserted one finger part way, slowly moving it in and out, waiting till he was relaxed enough to add a second. Fitz was moaning and making delectable noises at the contact, Mack curved his fingers slightly and felt Fitz buck up.

‘Mack, I want you to fuck me,’ he said, and Mack felt his dick throb.

‘I’ll get you there baby, don’t worry,’ Mack murmured softly into his ear. He added a third finger and Fitz was starting to shift around below him, making soft noises of pleasure. Mack kept going, working his fingers in and out, until he was sure Fitz was ready then sat back to rub lube over his cock. Mack knelt forward and lined himself up, bringing Fitz’s legs up, his cock pressing against Fitz’s hole. 

They made eye contact as he carefully pushed in, it felt so good and tight and he had to hold himself back and make sure he took his time. Fitz gasped and Mack waited a moment before slowly beginning to move in and out. He started a slow rhythm, but he could feel the pleasure in him building and the need to go faster and knew he wasn’t going to last long. Mack moved to grab Fitz’s cock, his hand roughly jerking it but as he sped up and lost himself in the feeling, he couldn’t keep in time. Fitz knocked Mack’s hand away and took over, they were both moaning now, and the headboard was knocking against the wall, neither of them caring. Mack couldn’t hold back any longer, his dick slamming into Fitz hard and fast bringing them both to the edge and drawing out louder noises. He felt Fitz’s muscles contract around him as he came, the sight bringing Mack to his own climax moments later. 

He stayed buried in Fitz for a moment longer, almost sad for it to be over but feeling sated and happy. Pulling out Mack rolled off the bed and grabbed a cloth from the en-suite bathroom and wiped them both down.

He lay back down and kissed Fitz softly, then pulled him so his head lay on Mack’s chest and Mack could put his arm securely around him. ‘That was amazing Fitz.’

Fitz nodded, seemingly incapable of words.

Mack pulled the covers over them, switched the light off and entwined and happy they fell asleep.


	8. Chapter 8

Mack woke and for a second couldn’t remember where he was. He realized his arm was wrapped around something warm and moving. Oh yeah, Fitz, and he smiled to himself. Fitz was murmuring and twitching in his sleep, that must be what had disturbed him and woken him up. The noises were quiet, but he sounded scared, like he was trapped in the middle of a nightmare. Mack couldn’t make out any real words, just mumbles. Fitz’s movements started to become more pronounced and Mack thought he heard him cry out ‘no, don't’. Mack gently rubbed Fitz’s shoulder to try and calm him down.

There was a sudden cry, his arm jerked wildly narrowly missing Mack’s face, and Fitz sprang awake, sitting up, panting hard, and wide eyed. His hands grabbed the covers on either side of him tightly and Fitz stayed like that for a few seconds, before looking around and seeming to notice Mack. Fitz looked at him for a moment before gathering himself to say ‘s-sorry, I w-w-w, you aren’t sleeping.’

‘That’s okay Turbo,’ Mack said, ‘bad dream?’

‘Yeah,’ said Fitz, ‘sorry.’

Trust Fitz to apologize to for some so clearly out of his control.

‘You want to talk about it?’

Fitz shook his head. ‘It’s almost five, I’ll probably just get some work done. I won’t sleep now.’

Mack remembered Fitz telling him he didn’t sleep much but he’d assumed he was an early riser, not that he had trouble sleeping like this. Fitz kissed Mack on the forehead, ‘you get some more sleep. The door locks behind you, I’ll just see you in the garage when you’re ready,’ and with that Fitz was up. A quick shower and literally ten minutes later Mack found himself in the flat alone. Mack was tired and managed to nod off again, wrapping himself up in covers that smelt of Fitz and only waking when the alarm on his phone went off at 7.45am.

He gathered his things and walked to the garage, finding Fitz in the middle of something complicated looking, a large machine beeping angrily at him. Fitz did not look impressed; the beeping was clearly not part of his plan. Mack approached warily, he knew some of Fitz’s gadgets could be dangerous. ‘Hi,’ I was just going to shower, then I have a quiet morning. Do you fancy going out for some breakfast?’

‘Sorry, I just got a new deadline for this damned thing,’ and Fitz indicated the beeping appliance, ‘I think I’m going to have to work through most of the next day, maybe two.’

Mack was disappointed but he saw how hard Fitz worked himself, he supposed it was something he would have to get used to if they were going to be a couple. Well, he hoped that’s what they were to each other now. He decided to risk a peck on the lips and was glad Fitz accepted it and shyly smiled at him.

‘Okay,’ Mack said, ‘I’ll see if Bobbi’s around. See you later.’

Mack couldn’t help but grin all the way upstairs and even through his shower. He thought back to their time together last night, all of it had gone better than he could have expected. Fitz was amazing, kind and clever and funny. Mack knew he was falling hard but there was nothing on earth he could do to stop it now, he just had to go along for the ride. He texted Bobbi and set off to meet her feeling light on his feet and humming softly to himself.

She was already waiting for him when he arrived at their favourite breakfast hangout.

‘Hey there lover boy,’ she teased, ‘you too busy to text me back last night?’

Mack blushed and looked down to study his menu.

‘Oh, you really _were_ too busy! I thought you just didn’t want to share the gossip.’

Mack ignored her comment and waved a waitress over to order his food. That done, he sipped the coffee she’d ordered him and sat back in his chair with a contented sigh.

‘So, it went well?’, Bobbi asked. ‘Yeah,’ Mack sighed, knowing he looked like a goofy lovestruck fool but unable to hide his feelings from his best friend.

‘I’m glad, you two are good for each other,’ Bobbi said, but she looked serious. ‘Looks like you really like him’ and she frowned.

‘What’s up Bob? Hunter?’ Mack guessed, ‘What’s he done now?’

‘Nothing like that. I wasn’t going to say anything actually, but I suppose it kind of concerns you too.’

Mack raised his eyebrows in surprise. ‘What is it?’ He was worried, Bobbi looked like she had bad news to share.

‘It’s Fitz.’ Bobbi waved her hand to calm Mack down as a look of panic crossed his face, ‘no, he’s fine. Well, that’s it really, he is fine. He’s doing so well, and his ex-employers want me to make the offer, convince him to come back.’

Mack was stunned. He was used to Fitz being around and now they were just at the start of something, something he was hoping would turn out to be very special. ‘What do you mean Bobbi? They want him to consult?’ He knew that wasn’t the case, she wouldn’t have that pained look on her face if it was that simple.

‘No, they want him back. If he says yes, he’d be gone Mack. It’s classified work, he would have to leave.’

Mack felt lost. Fitz was so clever, he was wasting his talents working alongside him in the garage. Fitz was going to go, just as Mack found out how much needed him. Just as he found out he couldn’t picture his life without Fitz in it.


	9. Chapter 9

Mack got back from brunch and watched Fitz hard at work across the garage, his face a picture of concentration. He looked tired, he clearly hadn't stopped all morning. Occasionally Fitz lost control of his hand and it shook or didn't do quite what he needed it to, but he was learning to deal with the frustration a lot better and Mack didn’t learn half as many Scottish swear words as he had in the first few weeks.

Mack was thinking back on what Bobbi had told him, how Fits'z previous employers wanted him back. If Bobbi was involved then Fitz’s previous work was probably government, highly classified, and probably for the good of mankind; of course they needed his big beautiful brain back. The private sector was keeping Fitz busy, but it was not going to help save the world. At least Mack could make the most of the time they had together, but he felt a heaviness in his chest. 

Fitz looked up, catching Mack staring at him, and blushed.

‘You’re back, I didn’t hear you come in,’ Fitz said, ‘how was brunch?’

‘Good,’ Mack lied, ‘how’s your work coming on?’

‘I’m working up to a break in about,’ and he looked at one of his screens, ‘12 minutes, if you can hang around?’

Mack smiled at him and nodded. He laid out on the sofa reading a magazine while he waited. Soon he felt Fitz move his legs so he could sit down, laying them back across his lap. Fitz placed his hands onto Mack’s knee and laid back, stretching out his neck to relieve the soreness caused by hours hunching over his workbench.

‘You work too hard Turbo,’ Mack said.

‘You should have seen me before,’ Fitz said, ‘this is nothing.’

‘You miss it?’ Mack asked, aware his answer might break his heart.

Fitz’s face darkened for a moment, before he rearranged it into something plainer, ‘Sometimes. There were things I did, things I got to see, magnificent things. But then there were other things, much-, much less pleasant things.’

Fitz’s hand started absentmindedly rubbing up and down Mack’s legs.

‘It’s okay Turbo, we don’t have to talk about it.’

Fitz gave a sad smile and a nod of relief. Mack knew something had happened to make Fitz leave, but Fitz was a hard book to read. He didn’t look like he was ready to run back to his old employers, not just yet. Maybe they would get a bit more time together, Mack felt a flutter of hope in his chest at the thought. He moved up to pull Fitz into an embrace and they lay there enjoying the feel of each other until Fitz jumped up at the sound of an urgent beeping from one of his computers.

They didn’t get a chance to spend any real time together after their moment of closeness on the sofa, not for a few days. Fitz really did work himself too hard and Mack wondered if he would eat and drink if he didn’t look up occasionally to find food and drink had appeared next to him unnoticed. Probably not. That man needed taking care of.

Fitz finally finished the machine, a complex looking thing with moving parts and lights and arms that served some unknown but clearly important purpose. A mysterious group of men in suits and sunglasses came and took it away in their black shiny SUVs. ‘Thank you, Doctor Fitz,’ the lead suit said, and Mack felt a flush of pride at hearing him addressed this way. His Fitz was _smart_.

Fitz went back to his flat, to sleep for at least twelve hours he said, leaving Mack instructions to come round ‘no earlier than eleven am.’

This would be their first real chance to spend some time together, now they were actually kind of ‘together’. Mack was excited, their date had been incredible, but it felt like a long time ago.

Mack checked his watch had ticked over to 11.01 before buzzing Fitz’s flat and making his way to the lift. He rapped on his door and after a few moments it opened, and a sleep ruffled face appeared. His curls dishevelled and clearly only just awake Fitz waved Mack inside wordlessly. He rubbed at his eyes, put a pot of coffee on, mumbled ‘shower’, and left Mack to entertain himself.

Clearly not a morning person, Fitz took his time in the shower and it was twenty minutes and one cup of coffee before he appeared, fully dressed and a little more awake. His phone rang and Fitz cancelled the call without looking, putting it straight in his pocket. He grabbed a cup of coffee before heading across to give Mack a quick kiss. He pulled back, as if to check that it was okay, but Mack reassured him by giving him a kiss back.

‘So, what’s the plan for today?’ Fitz asked.

‘I was going to let you choose,’ Mack said.

‘Not fair,’ Fitz said, ‘you’ve been awake longer. You have more brain cells firing right now, you choose, and I will follow’, he said leaning into Mack’s side. Mack’s arm came around him and he tried to think of something that Fitz would enjoy.

‘Okay, I have an idea.’ Mack sent a few messages on his phone while they finished their coffees. He smiled to himself, happy with the result, and said ‘let’s go.’

They left the flat hand in hand, Mack heading to the lift to push the button. Fitz just stopped facing the doors, his eyes wide and a blank look on his face.

‘It’s okay, it’s fixed, I used it again today,’ Mack said pulling him forward, but Fitz didn’t move. He just stood and stared, and his breathing started to become more noticeable. His chest was moving faster, and his hand started to tremble slightly.

‘Hey, hey, it’s okay,’ Mack lent down so their eyes were level. He laid his hand softly on the side of Fitz’s face, ‘we’ll take the stairs,’ and gently moved him in the right direction, Fitz dumbly nodded and let himself be guided.

Fitz walked down as if in a trance. Outside in the fresh air Fitz was calmer and on his way back to being himself. He looked over at Mack, his cheeks pink and seemingly embarrassed.

‘Sorry,’ he said looking at the floor.

‘Nothing to be sorry for,’ Mack said, meaning it, ‘no elevators. Not a problem.’

‘Can’t even get in a lift, pathetic,’ Fitz was saying, more to himself than Mack, ‘weak, stupid.’

Mack couldn’t bear to hear this from Fitz, he pulled him towards him. ‘No, please don’t talk like that Fitz, you are none of those things.’ Mack held him against his chest until he felt him relax and return the embrace. They stood like that for a few minutes until Fitz pulled back and smiled, clearly ready to change the subject, ‘so, where are we going?’

Mack linked their hands again as they took off, ‘it’s a surprise. Need to know only.’

Fitz laughed, ‘I can handle classified information.’


	10. Chapter 10

Fitz and Mack arrived at a featureless concrete grey building on the outskirts of town. Mack made a phone call and a few minutes later a figure came out through a heavy security gate and motioned for them to enter.

‘Mack, where are we?’ Fitz asked, but Mack just gave him a grin and kept his mysterious date plans to himself. He wanted to keep the surprise a little longer. They stopped at a glass booth and were given visitor badges.

They followed a man in some kind of black military uniform through corridors until a door opened into a large hangar. Mack looked across to check Fitz’s reaction. It was exactly what he’d been hoping for.

Fitz had stopped to stare, a look of wonder on his face. In the middle of the space was what looked to be a space shuttle. His mouth hanging open he looked over at Mack, ‘Is that-is that the Orion?’

Mack looked smug, he knew as an engineer Fitz would love to see the spacecraft and luckily he had pulled in a favour from a friend that worked on-site.

‘Sure is Turbo, want to have a closer look? But I promised we wouldn’t actually _touch_ anything okay?’ Their guard nodded to confirm.

Fitz looked disappointed at that but still eagerly ran across to the ship. Mack felt a warmth in his gut seeing Fitz so caught up in the excitement.

Mack hadn’t expected Fitz to understand the workings of it quite the way he did. He thought it would be more of a puzzle, but Fitz seemed quite familiar with the design. Fitz’s enthusiasm was catching. He enjoyed explaining his way around the craft and Mack enjoyed listening. Their guard was probably learning things too, Mack smiled at the thought.

‘Hey Turbo, you got something to tell me? You make a habit of hanging out on space shuttles?’ Mack asked.

Fitz flushed and grinned, ‘No, but I am very familiar with aviation design and I have spent a lot of time studying craft like this, kind of a hobby.  Wait till I tell Jemma, she will be so jealous.’

Of course Mack should have known that Fitz would find studying complicated schematics a leisure activity.  

They spent a couple of hours going over the ship. Fitz began making notes and told Mack he had some ideas to pass on that might help with the overall design. Mack followed watching adoringly and was glad his unusual date choice had paid off so well.

When Fitz had finally had his fill, and his stomach had rumbled for the third time, they decided it was time to go, Fitz looking wistfully back at the ship as they walked away.

‘We just got to head in here and say thank you to Kevin for letting us see the place,’ Mack said, and they entered a small office. A large muscular man dressed in the same black military gear got up and pulled Mack into a hug.

‘Kevin, it’s good to see you man. Thanks for letting us do this. This is Fitz, Fitz, Kevin.’

‘Nice to meet you Fitz. Mack! It’s been too long. What did you think of her?’ Kevin asked.

‘She’s great,’ Fitz jumped in, ‘I’ve formulated a method to increase acceleration, but with more time and access to your files I can improve it, also the electromagnetic-‘

Kevin cut him off, ‘Doctor Fitz, I looked you up before I could grant you access. Your reputation proceeds you.’ Fitz looked at the ground, unwilling to take the compliment. ‘You’re a lot younger  than I expected. We would be more than happy to hear from someone with your background. Here’s my card, I can put you in touch with the other brains, the ones that will make more sense of your ideas than I can.’

Fitz put the card in his back pocket and nodded.

‘Feel free to call me, anytime,’ Kevin said, his hand briefly fell on Fitz’s shoulder and gave a squeeze.

Mack frowned, trying not to feel like a jealous idiot. It was just Kevin being his usual flirty self, it didn’t mean anything. Despite that, Mack still found his arm going around Fitz’s shoulders in a show of possessiveness.

‘I’ll do that,’ Fitz agreed.

‘Thanks Kevin,’ Mack said, ‘Fitz and I have to get going, we’ve got plans.’ As they turned to leave, Mack dropped his arm but was unable to stop from placing his hand on the small of Fitz’s back to guide him forward. It didn’t hurt for Kevin to know that Fitz was taken.

Another nameless figure in military black led them back out of the building, emerging into the sunshine Mack blinked at the brightness. The figure disappeared back behind the plain grey facade.

‘So, good date?’ Mack asked, sure he knew the answer. Fitz's arms came up around his neck and the kiss he received in response let him know he’d chosen wisely.

When they pulled apart Mack asked, ‘food?’

‘You read my mind,’ Fitz said.

‘Takeaway? Or eat out somewhere?’ Mack asked.

‘How about I order some food and we go hang out at yours?’ Fitz suggested.

Mack was surprised, Fitz’s apartment was bigger, but he wasn’t about to pass up some quality time with the man he liked. Really really liked.

They spent the evening eating Indonesian noodles, drinking cheap beer, and watching bad 80s sci fi. It was one of the most perfect evenings Mack could remember. They chatted, they laughed, being with Fitz was such an easy fit. It was like hanging out with his best friend, but a friend with gorgeous blue eyes, slightly messy dark blonde curls and a mouth he just couldn’t seem to stop kissing.

They got distracted during the third film and kissing led to making out on the couch. The heat always built between them so quickly. Mack was struggling to control himself, not wanting to push, until Fitz suggested they move to the bedroom. Mack had hoped the evening would end this way, Fitz in his arms, their naked bodies as close as could be. As he kissed down Fitz’s chest, his hand between Fitz’s legs teasing, the rush of affection he felt caught him off-guard. It wasn’t just sex; he knew this was it for him, he knew it instinctively in a way he’d never experienced before. No other guy had made him feel this way. 

Later, both sated and very relaxed, Fitz rested his head on Mack’s naked chest. Mack curled his arm around him and held him close. Fitz kissed Mack’s chest gently, until his breathing slowed, and his eyelids flickered down. Mack placed a kiss on Fitz’s messy curls and ran his fingers through them softly, trying to think of what to do. He couldn’t let this end; he couldn’t let Fitz leave. He was going to have to talk to Bobbi, she was his best friend, but she also seemed to understand the world Fitz came from. A world of espionage and secrets. Maybe she could help him figure this out.

Looking down at the sleeping man in his arms Mack thought to himself, so loudly he felt Fitz should have heard him, ‘I love you.’


	11. Chapter 11

Fitz had woken up around 4.30am like he did the last time Mack had spent the night with him, crying out and shaking in fear. It hurt him to see Fitz suffer like that but at least he seemed to calm down quickly in Mack’s arms.

Fitz had decided the rude awakening meant it was time to get up even before the sun did and went off to work on his designs in the garage. Mack couldn’t drift back off to sleep this time, his mind was working too fast.

He opened up a message to Bobbi, ‘Bob, can we talk? It’s about what you said at brunch.’ He hoped Bobbi would help him figure out what to do. Now that he had some serious feelings involved he couldn’t face the prospect of Bobbi tempting Fitz back to his old job. With that done he decided he might as well get up and start work himself.

He found it hard to concentrate on the truck in front of him, he kept looking over to watch Fitz. He watched him frown at his phone and put it back in his pocket. He watched him stop and massage his shaking hand when he’d been working on some fine electronics for too long, stopping just before he dropped the small tool he was holding. He watched him smile as apparently a rather complicated machine did exactly what he had programmed it to do. Every now and then Fitz looked up and if he caught Mack watching he smiled, a genuine warm smile that went straight to Mack’s heart.

‘Hellooo,’ a cheery voice rang out across the garage. Skye bounded in and went over to ruffle Fitz’s hair against his will before coming and stopping in front of Mack. Fitz scowled at her, but Mack knew it was only an act.

‘Is she ready Mack?’ she asked, nodding to where her van sat in the corner.

‘She sure is,’ Mack said, going across to his desk to return the key to her.

Skye went over and ran her hands along the sides of the van, love radiating from her finger tips. ‘Sssh, I’m here now baby,’ she murmured to the vehicle.

She turned and stood in front of Mack, a sincere look on her face. ‘Thank you so much Mack, I really appreciate what you’ve done. In fact, I told my friend about you. He has a classic Corvette he needs someone to look at.’

At that, Fitz looked up and turned his head towards Skye, Mack hadn’t realised Fitz was even listening.

‘No,’ Fitz said firmly.

Mack frowned.

‘I mean, Mack’s busy that’s all Skye, he can’t just stop everything to look at, at your friend’s car.’

‘It’s no problem,’ Mack said, ‘tell him to bring it by.’

Skye smiled at Mack and turned to wink at Fitz, ‘thanks boys. Oh, and Friday you absolutely have to come out for my birthday drinks.’

Fitz opened his mouth to speak but she fixed him with a firm stare, ‘no exceptions.’

Fitz nodded, knowing the battle was lost. Mack smiled, Skye was hard to say no to, and he was actually looking forward to being out with Fitz as his, his boyfriend? Hopefully, he needed to check with Fitz if that’s how he saw this too.

Mack felt his phone buzz, he had a message from Bobbi, ‘Moscow till next week. Talk when back.’

Oh. So no Bobbi to talk things through with yet, he’d have to wait.

After Skye left, Mack approached Fitz for their tea and coffee break. They went to the café across the road and sat in the window. It was the same table they sat at the first time, Mack thought to himself.

‘Fitz.’

Fitz looked up; he wasn’t used to hearing Mack call him by his name. Well, his surname.

Mack took his hand, ‘Leo,’ he said softly, looking into those bright blue eyes. ‘Leopold?’ he said questioningly, as if trying it out, but he felt Fitz flinch at the name.

‘P-please don’t call me that,’ Fitz stuttered. ‘Leo is for when I’m in trouble, and the, the other one, yeah just n-n-never.’

‘Sorry Turbo,’ Mack said.

Fitz smiled up at him, ‘that one is okay, only you are allowed to call me that,’ and he placed his other hand on top of their joined ones.

Mack liked that he had a special name, one only he could use. It felt like a secret they shared, something that showed how close they had become.

‘So, on Friday, we’re going out with Skye and your friends?’ Mack had phrased it as a question, but he wasn’t entirely sure how to ask what he wanted to.

Fitz nodded. ‘Yeah.’

‘Um,’ Mack carried on, ‘am I going as your friend, or are we going _together_? As us, like a couple,’ he asked, aware how the question might sound. He was sure he used to be smoother at this kind of thing.

Fitz grinned widely, ‘Alphonso Mackenzie, are you asking me to be your boyfriend?’ he positively beamed. Fitz squeezed their hands together, ‘because if you are, then the answer is yes.’

Relief washed over Mack and he leaned in to give Fitz a soft peck on the lips.

‘Okay great. Thanks, boyfriend,’ he said, liking how the word sounded on his tongue.

Mack worked the rest of the afternoon with a smile on his lips. He looked across at Fitz, at his _boyfriend_ , hard at work. This meant something. They were starting a relationship. Fitz wasn’t going to up and leave, not now. He was glad he’d been brave enough to have the conversation. Mack felt a sense of calm he hadn’t felt since brunch with Bobbi.

There was a buzz and Fitz answered his phone excitedly, ‘Jemma!’ ‘Okay, y-, no way, that’s incredible. Of course not. I will. I do!’ He called across to Mack, ‘tell Jemma I am eating and sleeping just fine.’

Mack laughed and shouted back, ‘only when I make him.’

‘Well Mack _would_ know actually Jemma, he’s my boyfriend.’ Mack could hear Jemma’s high-pitched noises over the phone and Fitz held it away from his ear until she calmed down. Mack didn’t think he would ever get tired of hearing Fitz call him that.

‘Okay, see you soon. Me too,’ and Fitz hung up the phone and hurried over.

He pulled Mack into a hug and rested his head against Mack’s chest, ‘Jemma is rather disgustingly happy for us. Either that or she’s trying to speak dolphin.’ Mack pulled Fitz closer to him.

‘Anyway, she is surprising Skye on Friday for her birthday. I am trusting you with top secret information here, Skye cannot find out.’

Mack laughed, ‘sure thing, you can trust me.’


End file.
